In addition to opening the online voting for the America’s Best DJ title last week, we left Detroit’s Movement festival for sunnier climes on the Left Coast. We dropped into Hollywood’s splendid Avalon club for its Saturday-night Avaland party with ABDJ nominee Kristina Sky, who shared the bill with Euro-trance mavens Andy Moor and Menno de Jong.

Kristina Sky rocked LA’s Avalon.Photo: Oh Dag Yo Photography

As always, DJ Times maintained a dedicated booth and took votes for Ms. Sky, while the late-night madness ensued within Avalon’s many musical environments. We heard soaring synths and epic breakdowns. We saw blinding strobes and a pulsing dancefloor. There was plenty of sweat and a few earnest conversations with the loyal trance fans—but somehow we made it back East in one piece.

This Friday, June 7, we’re bi-coastal, as we’ll be working two near-simultaneous ABDJ tour stops—one in Philadelphia, another in San Francisco. Let’s take a closer look at those gigs.

Gabriel & Dresden to play Philly’s Rumor.Photo: Oh Dag Yo Photography

In Philly, it’ll be longtime DJ Times faves Gabriel & Dresden, who will deliver a double-dose of electronic goodness at Rumor, the cozy and stylish venue in Center City. It’s no secret that Dave Dresden—a Connecticut native—once wrote reviews and features for the magazine and that DJ Times once gave Josh Gabriel a night at Twilo he’ll never forget—Sasha & Digweed were really on their game that night.

Come by the DJ Times booth, vote for G&D (or the DJ of your choice) and take a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas on Oct. 13 for the ABDJ Closing Party/Award Ceremony at the Marquee Nightclub. Get to “Tracking Treasure Down.”

Vote & enter to win a trip to Vegas!Photo: Oh Dag Yo Photography

In San Francisco, eminent club Ruby Skye offers an evening with one of electronic music’s living legends BT (aka Brian Transeau). As he prepared for the late-summer release of a new album on Armada, we were lucky to catch up with BT for a quick interview:

DJ Times: You’ve played San Francisco and Ruby Skye a lot in the past. I remember seeing you play SF as far back as 1997 in the ESCM era and the Bay Area audience really gets it up for you. What’s it like on the performer’s end to have such an up-for-it audience, like the Bay Area has?

BT: San Francisco has one of my favorite scenes in the country. Not only is there an incredible historical perspective of electronic music and culture there, but additionally the tech scene blends with awareness to make one of the most clued-up scenes in the country. I’d say 60-percent of my fans in SF are progenitors and thought leaders in technology. Also, there’s Blue Bottle Coffee and Umami Burger—winning…

BT: Lots of proprietary software. I’m always testing beta builds of my next iZotope releases. At the moment, I’m running a Macbook and a custom Livid controller, which is unreal.

DJ Times: What new material should we be looking for? New projects you’re excited about?

BT: My ninth artist album, A Song Across Wires, is set to launch Aug. 16th this summer. I’ve not been this excited about an album for years. It’s a symbiotic interweaving of my crazy nano-top-shelf-OCD production aesthetic and the current state of EDM. Every song off the album is festival-ready. It’s a truly exciting album. I’m scoring a new TV episodic drama for ABC directed by my friend Patty Jenkins. I’m also in development on my new piece of music software with iZotope. It’s even cooler than Stutter Edit—people are not going to believe it. Can’t wait to get this thing out!